Illusions of fear
by Lady YamiIris
Summary: (Romance - YxY) At one side, Yuugi suffers the pain of his friends' ignorance towards him. At the other side, Yami suffers the pain from the void of emotions his hikari gives him. What is the link between these two completely different situations?


A/N: I must ask you please not to quit this story after reading the first paragraphs. You will get the idea of "I've seen all this before..." after you do so, but feel courageous enough to continue reading. After all, you will be surprised at the end. Just keep reading ^^ Onegai

This story is for me to break the bad habit of "ignored angst" fics out there. Please, don't write those unless you have an actual plot... These things are getting kind of annoying.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Yuugiou... but hikari and I are planning to ^^ Someday... somehow... We will. Bwahahahahahahahahaha...

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Warning: There's _shounen ai_ in this story. If you don't like it, 1) You should not be reading this story, 2) You should not be reading ANY of my stories. Leave now. Please. Thank you. See you never.

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Pairing: Yami/Yuugi

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Keys: "__" = talking, '__' = thinking, _italic_ = yami/hikari mind thing

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Illusions of Fear

by: yami iris

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Yuugi shivered, regretting not bringing a jacket. The wind blew softly but as it whistled, a freezing sensation filled all the ones who adventured through the lonely streets. Clouds covered the sky and everything seemed like a gray blanket, and it seemed that it had swallowed the sun and stolen its warmth, leaving everybody in the cold nothingness.

The young light gazed left and right, and the few people that walked on the streets that day merely ignored him. Not that he was expecting anyone to notice him at all, but he just felt void of emotions and warmth that if he didn't breathe, he wasn't sure if he was alive at all.

The days went by unnoticed by him, and the hours ran without him paying attention that the clock was moving. He couldn't remember what he did in the morning or in the afternoon. He didn't know the words he spoke or the paths he took, every day. His routine was a complete blank in his mind. All Yuugi knew was that, each day that passed, he felt less and less visible and existent in this world.

After all, nobody spoke in him. At home, at school, in the streets. Nobody even gave him a second glance, and he was doubting if anyway _did_ actually see him. Or maybe... they could just see the other.

Yes. The old Pharaoh, now a teenage boy like many in the world. He took over his friends, family, his whole life. He had a body of his own. He wasn't bounded to the Puzzle, or to Yuugi anymore. He had his own _life_. He didn't need those two anymore.

Maybe because he looked like Yuugi, everybody thought he was him, and took over his place. Or maybe they never had really noticed Yuugi, only when he turned into Yami. After all, the light had had that Puzzle for so long now, everybody couldn't see him without it. Without Yami.

Perhaps it was partially his fault too. He had placed way too much trust on the other, he had made himself way too much dependent on him. He couldn't even save his friend's life without Yami's help. For everything he consulted the spirit, he always inquired his for help or opinion.

Now, everything had come to that. He was alone, and Yami had everyone and everything.

But Yuugi couldn't bring himself to hate Yami. No, instead he _longed_ for his presence. He wanted to be with him, wanted to talk to him, wanted to _see_ him smile, and wanted to hear his melodic voice. But... even though he didn't like how everybody seemed to take his yami's attention, maybe that was what he himself wanted. To be noticed by Yami like before...

To be loved by him like before...

'No... Yami never liked me... Probably all the words he spoke to me, all the affection he gave me... They were all fake. Probably all he saw me as was his vessel! Nothing more!' Yuugi thought, closing his eyes shut.

"NO!" he yelled, and since the street was deserted at the moment, nobody heard him. He fell on his knees and leaned against a street lamp, its shy light trying to reach the hikari through the dense fog around. He shook his head.

He refused to believe in his own words, as cruel as they seemed.

"Why..." Yuugi's shoulders shook as he sobbed silently to himself. "Why can't I hate him?" he asked nobody in particular, and his question hang in the air, unanswered.

~~

Yami watched as his hikari did his homework in a quicker pace than normal, and sighed, knowing the why. Probably he was going out with his friends again, but being good responsible Yuugi, couldn't go without making sure that his tasks were done.

__

"Yuugi... Are you going to the arcade with the others?" Yami asked, not using his little nickname 'aibou' simply because Yuugi had made sure he didn't call him that. Yami had insisted in continue calling him that, but Yuugi said he... didn't like the sound of it. And besides, he said that all his friends called him Yuugi and so Yami had to do so too.

What a lie...

Yuugi had been so distant and so cold towards the spirit that it seemed a big lie to call the two 'friends'. Friends are always together, friends always talk to each other, friends enjoy each other's company. But did Yuugi do all that to the spirit?

Maybe before, but not anymore. Lately, Yuugi completely ignored Yami at times, and even asked him as politely as possible to 'shut up'. Didn't seem like Yuugi, is what you're thinking? Yami thinks so too. But maybe... Maybe he finally noticed that he didn't need Yami as much as he needed him.

Yuugi wasn't a kid anymore. And, everywhere he went, Jounouchi and Honda were with him, sometimes even Kaiba, so they made sure nobody messed with their shorter friend. There weren't any more threats to the world or to Yuugi's life, so why did Yuugi _really_ need Yami for?

Nothing. But maybe, you think, he still considered him as his friend?

... You would be surprised. Because, in Yami's words, Yuugi now only considered him as an old spirit trapped in a Puzzle. With no body, no life... Someone that you just had to talk to for pity or necessity. Besides, all Yuugi's friends didn't like Yami, because they were... afraid of him. Afraid of his powers, afraid of his eyes, completely afraid of him.

And Yuugi?

Well, he just couldn't let someone as dangerous as Yami near his friends, especially when they _didn't_ like him. So, what was left for Yami? To be left, forgotten, into the depths of the Puzzle, without being able to communicate his own hikari through the mind-link (since Yuugi asked as politely as possible not to disturb him), alone with his shadows.

Where was the light that saved him? Where was the affection said light had for him, when he accidentally made mistakes and was forgiven? Where was the light he had come to admire and love? 

Even Yuugi's eyes, pieces of his being that Yami adored the most, were void of emotions and of its natural glow. The light lavender turned into dark violet every time their gazes met, and that... tore Yami's soul apart.

Did Yuugi really hate him _that_ much?

"No." The light answered, throwing Yami out of his thoughts. He didn't even use the mind link anymore... Maybe he even forgot it existed. "We're going to the movies. Then we are thinking of going somewhere else." He continued, and Yami blinked.

__

"But aibou, isn't that-"

"Don't call me that." Yuugi immediately interrupted, turning to glare at him. "How many times have I asked you not to call me that?" he asked, brows frowning. Yami looked away.

__

"I'm sorry... Yuugi..." he said, and Yuugi nodded, going back at looking at his homework, only half of his attention on the spirit.

"Now, what were you saying again?" he asked, and Yami looked at the ground. He couldn't even bare look at him anymore. Not knowing that at any moment he can look at him with those eyes again.

__

"It's already almost evening Yuugi... Aren't you and the others coming back rather late?" he asked, and Yuugi rolled his eyes, not bothering turning around to look at the other.

"You sound like you're my grandpa, Yami." He said, and shook his head. "The guys and I can take care of ourselves. Nothing will happen. And besides, we don't have school tomorrow." Yuugi suddenly blinked. "Now thinking about it, why am I even doing this thing? I can finish it tomorrow!" he said brightly, and stood up, closing his books.

__

"But Yuugi... weren't you going to help your grandfather tomorrow?" Yami asked, raising his eyebrows. Yuugi shrugged while looking for his cloak in his wardrobe.

"It's just homework, Yami. It's not like I'm going to take all day to finish it. When I wake up, I can finish it, _then_ help grandpa. Maybe me and the others will even be able to go out later." He said and smiled to himself as he found his cloak.

Yami just observed him, quiet. Yuugi was so different.... Not in body, but in self. Yami had never seen him delaying his homework or forsaking his grandpa.

"Oh by the way... I'm not taking the Puzzle with me." Yuugi said, and that caught Yami's attention almost immediately.

__

"What?! But-" he tried to say, but Yuugi turned to glare at him again. He shut up at the same moment.

"Walking through the streets with a thing like that... If I go out with that Puzzle I'll most likely get more attention than I want to. Do you want anybody trying to hurt me to steal it or anything, Yami?" he asked, and Yami shook his head. He smiled a fake smile. "Good! Now bye!" he said and waved, going through the door.

Yami could have said that he could protect him, but he knew Yuugi wouldn't like if he came out of the Puzzle to take care of things. So what other option did he have? None. Just let Yuugi do what he wanted to do. If he wanted to leave the Puzzle at home... Just let him do it.

He walked towards the window where he saw Yuugi step in the street and start to walk towards the park, that it probably was where he and the others were going to meet.

It hurt Yami, more than he could bear, to see Yuugi walking away from him like that. But if he wanted to abandon Yami, just let him do it... There was nothing the spirit could do anyway.

~~

Yuugi wiped away his tears and the blowing wind made sure to dry the wetness on his cheeks. He looked up at the sky and noticed that it was getting darker, and he noticed that it was probably near evening. He shrugged and shook his head. He was not willing in going back home.

He wasn't going to be able to stand the emptiness the place gave him. With grandpa working on things for the shop and the room dark and cold without Yami's presence, Yuugi was afraid he was going to break down and he didn't know if he was going to be able to stop. No. He was not going back home.

Instead, he walked towards the park, where he was sure nobody was going to be. Sure his friends and his yami liked the place, but they were somewhere else that day. He would have the tree's peace and the comforting fog for himself.

What a consolation.

He turned on a street and soon he was at the entrance of the park. The fog made it almost impossible for him to see anything, but he was sure that there wasn't anybody around. So, with that thought in mind, he walked towards the fountain. Its sound always relaxed and calmed the boy, and that was exactly what he was wanting.

About a few feet from the fountain, however, Yuugi heard some sounds and low voices. He blinked and wondered who could be there at such hour and weather, and not wanting to interrupt but still curious about whom could it be, he walked towards the trees and, following its path, tiptoed towards the fountain.

When he was really close was the only moment he could see who it was. And his eyes widened.

There, kissing each other with conviction, were Yami and Anzu.

'But... since when...' he couldn't even form coherent thoughts such was his shock and perplexity. He could only stare, from his place in the shadows, hiding in oblivion.

But he was forced to look away when Anzu almost fell on the water from the force in Yami's kiss. He heard her giggle and looked back at them. They had parted, to his comfort.

"Yami, what if somebody sees us?" the girl asked, and Yuugi could vaguely see Yami smirk.

"Let them see. It's not like I want to keep this a secret anyway." He said and was about to kiss her again when she placed a hand on his chest.

"But _I_ don't want anybody knowing like this, you know. What if Yuugi finds out?" she asked, and Yami sighed.

"What about the runt? Are you afraid he'll be heartbroken because his lovely and beloved Anzu is dating the mean and evil Yami?" he asked, and Yuugi winced. Ow. That hurt.

Anzu giggled and shook her head, wetting her lips and brushing Yami's bangs from his eyes.

"No.... most likely he'll be heartbroken because his beloved Yami is dating the bitch Anzu." She said (A/N: Other words couldn't be truer... Lily: Shut up yami and continue the story ~_~). Yami raised an eyebrow and Yuugi paled.

"What are you implying?" he asked, and Anzu grinned.

"Oh you know... Yuugi treasures you and always have. How come he kept you from me and the others for so long for himself?" she asked, caressing his cheek. Yami kissed her hand, and Yuugi looked away.

"I get it... So maybe you're thinking that Yuugi... loves me? In _that_ way?" he asked, and Anzu nodded. Yami chuckled. "Oh come _on_, Anzu... I knew Yuugi was weird, but that's new... But I'm not that way, am I?" he smirked and leaned over her. "Nothing would leave me any more pleased than Yuugi stop annoying me... I can't stand him." He said, and Anzu shook her head, but before she could say anything else Yami had kissed her again.

Yuugi placed a hand over his mouth to keep a sob from coming out loud and decided that it was best for him to silent sneak away, leaving the two lovers and traitors alone. They were not part of his life anymore.

And once he was out of the park, Yuugi ran. He ran away from the two people he had ever cared the most in his life, aside from his grandfather. The ones he had ever placed greater trust... They had betrayed him. And all Yuugi could do was let the tears fall. Or else, he could go mad.

~~

A light filled the room, coming from two things. One was the Millennium Puzzle, object abandoned by its owner, and the other was the spirit that lived inside said Puzzle, also abandoned by its hikari. Slowly, the light started to fade away, leaving the room in the uncharacteristic darkness of late afternoon.

Yami slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his hands then at his body. Yes, it had worked like he had expected. He was not a mere spirit anymore. He was as solid as Yuugi or the Puzzle.

He had discovered that ability not too long ago, and would show his light wasn't the boy acting the way he was. Before, he could be thrilled with the news. Nowadays, he could get unease and maybe even afraid. He probably didn't want someone like Yami near him and his friends, less a solid one.

Yami brought a hand to his eyes and brought all of himself not to brake down. He knew that, probably before dawn, he would be so exhausted after using all his magic to form a solid body, that he would have to rest in the Puzzle for two days or more. But he knew Yuugi wouldn't mind it. He barely noticed Yami anymore anyway. And he needed air. He needed to breathe. He needed to _think_. Or else, he would go mad.

He picked up the Puzzle and placed it around his neck, looking down sadly at it, when before, the one using it was Yuugi and not himself. He felt so... empty. He shook his head. Yuugi had his own life now. And if he decided that Yami was not a part of it, then he wasn't. Yami couldn't ask anything from Yuugi after all that he had already done to him.

He had shown him the light, he had shown him life. He showed him friendship and affection, understanding and compassion. He didn't know it, but he had shown the spirit how to love. Because he loved Yuugi more than he had ever done, even though some of his memories were still locked away. But that was something he couldn't forget, nobody did. He _felt_ it. He could feel how important Yuugi was to him.

'There is no hope now.' He thought and soundlessly opened the door. He stepped out and tried to bring himself down the stairs and out of the house without Yuugi's grandfather noticing, and he was successful in his task.

He shivered at the cold wind, but wasn't much disturbed by it. He liked feeling the cold, just like he liked feeling any other physical sensations. Before, he had Yuugi to help him with such, but now he was on his own... And he was glad for it too.

But as much as he felt free and alive, it wasn't the same thing as sharing a body with Yuugi... No. It was much worse. Because he couldn't feel what Yuugi felt, he couldn't read what Yuugi thought, he couldn't listen to his voice inside his mind... He didn't feel like they were one, instead they were two now.

'Does he hate me _that_ much?' he asked himself, hugging his own arms and walking down the street, thinking back at when Yuugi glared at him for accidentally calling him 'aibou'.

He closed his eyes and turned on a corner, asking himself what he had done to deserve that. Maybe it wasn't such a good thing Yuugi having solved the Puzzle... Maybe Yami should have been better left trapped inside the darkened depths of the item, alone and broken. So that he wouldn't love Yuugi so much and wouldn't feel like dying again....

Suddenly, his head shot up. His eyes opened and he looked around, finding himself in the middle of a deserted road. There were four paths, counting the one he had come from. And something within him was telling him to follow one of the paths, insistently. Yami didn't know what it was, but he knew better than not to follow his intuition. And it was now telling him that it wasn't an ordinary thing.

~~

Yuugi bumped into something and fell down to the ground, wincing and sobbing. The tears continued to fall down his face, and Yuugi did nothing to try and hold them back. His eyes were closed shut in pain as his head met whatever that was in front of him, but when he opened them, even the tears stopped in shock.

There was nothing in there.

'Wait... what did I bump into?' he inquired in his head and stood up. He wiped the tears away with his sleeve, and reached forward, still sitting on the ground.

His hand met something. But he didn't see anything in front of him.

'It's like... an invisible wall.' He concluded, and looked around. He didn't know the alley he was in, and wondered to himself just _how_ he got there. He didn't really see where he was going at all, his vision blurred by tears and all that, but how he got in that alley... Was it just a mere coincidence, or did he go there by instinct or intuition? He didn't know.

He looked back at where his hand was, touching the invisible wall in front of him when he noticed that there was someone else in front of him. He blinked and looked up, all the previous scenes suddenly forgotten.

His eyes widened.

'It can't be...'

~~

Yami walked through a very darkened alley, but he didn't know what the place had of special. He was sure he had never been there before, but still, something told him to go there.

Looking forward, he finally noticed, in the dim light, that there was somebody else in the alley. He blinked and decided to go towards them, thinking that maybe that was what he was there for.

When he was just in front of the person he looked down and his eyes widened.

'... Yuugi??'

~~

'Wasn't Yami with Anzu just minutes before? I was running, there's no way he caught up with me...' Yuugi thought, tilting his head to the side as he looked up at Yami. His hand was still against the cold invisible wall, but that wasn't his main thought now.

He whimpered when his gaze met Yami's. He backed away from the wall.

'No... I-I don't want to see him... not now... Not after...' he sniffed and tears began to fall down from his eyes unconsciously, as he crawled away from the other one. Yami tried to walk towards him but he finally noticed the invisible wall between them.

Yuugi stopped moving when he saw Yami look at the wall with widened and panicked eyes, and froze at his next act.

~~

Yami's eyes widened as he saw Yuugi crying. He didn't know why the other was crying for, or why he seemed afraid of Yami. Also, the spirit was confused as to what Yuugi was doing in that alley when he was supposed to be with the others.

When he reached his hand out and tried to walk closer to Yuugi, he was shocked to find something between him and the light. He touched the invisible wall with both his hands and tried to brake it down, but found himself unable to. He looked at Yuugi again. The boy had stopped and just looked at him with hurt eyes.

Yami couldn't take it anymore.

He fell down to his knees and sat down on the ground, one hand still against the invisible magic wall, while the other went to his chest and, for the first time in thousands years, he cried.

'Do you hate me... that much Yuugi? Why? What broke our bound? What made... you so different? Why... why do you walk away from me?' he questioned in his mind, expecting an answer from himself. But he couldn't answer them.

He was just so confused...

~~

Of all the things that Yami could have done, crying was probably one that Yuugi wasn't expecting. He sure waited for him to get through the invisible wall like it didn't exist at all and yell at him, insult him or even humiliate him. Or maybe he would just walk away.

But cry.... Yuugi had never even seen Yami cry. At least, not when the subject... was himself. The hikari he had neglected the past times and that he probably hated.

Why was he crying? Why... was he there at all? And just what was the invisible wall that separated the two of them.

Curiosity taking the best of him, Yuugi decided to push aside all the pain, disappointment and growing hate he had been feeling for Yami since he ran out of the park, and decided to work on the part of him that still liked the spirit. That still loved him. That still considered him a part of his soul.

He crawled back towards the wall that separated him from the spirit and sat down in front of him. All that kept him from wiping away his tears was the mysterious wall. He touched its surface in the direction of Yami's face and tilted his head to the side.

For once, in a long time, Yuugi was concerned about Yami.

"Yami...?" he inquired, but the other didn't seem to hear him, and his shoulders continued shaking and his hand moved to his mouth to try and control his wave of tears.

~~

Yami looked up to expect himself to be alone, expecting Yuugi to have already ran away from him, but was surprised to find his hikari there, looking concerned about him. His eyes widened, because that was the last thing he was waiting from Yuugi.

He looked down at where the smaller one's hand was against the magical wall, and reached his own hand, placing it as if their palms were against each other's. He looked up at Yuugi's face and saw him looking at their 'touching' hands before looking up at him too.

Their eyes met.

~~

Neither of them was waiting the sudden light that shone suddenly, and blinded them momentarily. But even before they opened their eyes, they noticed what happened, as they felt their supposed touching hands actually brush together.

The wall had disappeared.

Yuugi looked up and found Yami's eyes still closed but about to open. He looked over to their hands before reaching out his other one and gently wiped Yami's tears away. At that moment, the spirit's eyes opened and he looked down at Yuugi with shocked eyes.

Yuugi immediately withdrew his hand, but couldn't do the same with the other because Yami was holding it.

'I'm so screwed...' Yuugi thought and closed his eyes, waiting for a yell, a shout, a slap... anything. However, that is not what happened next.

He felt Yami's fingers intertwine with his own, and the taller one, with his other arm, held Yuugi by the waist and brought his face to his chest, crying. Yuugi blinked his eyes open and then widened them.

"Yami...?" he whispered, but the spirit only sobbed in response. Yuugi panicked and placed his free arm around Yami's shoulders. "What's wrong...? Why... why are you crying??" he asked, but didn't let go of him.

Of all people, why was Yami crying on him? And why did he hold on to Yuugi for dear life? And shouldn't he be with Anzu?

Yami backed from Yuugi, but his hands remained where they were; intertwined with Yuugi's and around his waist. Yuugi's eyes were red from crying at what Yami had done but still held concern for him.

"What is wrong? Did something happen to you?" he asked, and was about to ask if Anzu did anything to him when Yami did the last thing Yuugi expected.

He kissed him.

The hand holding Yuugi's slowly let go and went to his cheek, while the other one only gripped Yuugi tighter and brought him closer. The hand Yami let go of Yuugi's fell down to his side and the other remained on Yami's cheek, as he couldn't move from shock.

'What... what is he doing? Wasn't he... with... with Anzu...' Yuugi thought vaguely but slowly his mind gave away. He had waited too long for this, and he didn't know if Yami or himself were going to regret it later, but his mind and body didn't care at the moment. And ever so slowly, he closed his own eyes and melted into the kiss.

He was never kissed before, but he knew that Yami was, possibly, being as passionate as possible. The way he held him, the way his head tilted to the side to deepen the kiss and the way his tongue brushed against his as Yuugi opened his mouth in reflex... The kiss wasn't an ordinary one, and Yuugi knew it. He seemed to kiss him the same way he did with Anzu at the park.

He didn't mind it.

Neither of them noticed as the surroundings went black and blank. But when they parted, they only had a second to gaze into each other's eyes before their visions went also black.

~~

Yami bolted up, and it took him a moment to take in where exactly he was. Slowly his eyes went into focus and he looked around, taking in the surroundings. He blinked once. Twice. He shook his head and looked around again, then raised an eyebrow.

'My... soul room?' he wondered to himself, then his hand went to his head then to his chest. 'Why... why do I feel so... weak?' he thought, closing his eyes for a brief moment, to catch his uneven breath, before remembering something. 'Yuugi...' his eyes opened for e moment before he closed them again, focusing into materializing himself into the real world.

~

When he opened his eyes and found himself in Yuugi's room, he quickly turned towards the boy's bed. He found Yuugi there, sitting up but still leaning against his pillow, eyes half-opened and breathing weakly as if he had just ran a marathon.

__

"Yuugi, are you ok?" Yami asked, not daring walking towards the bed. He was still confused at what just happened and why he felt like he had just woken up from a nightmare, but he still wasn't sure of such thought. If Yuugi still hated him, then he wouldn't abuse his luck.

The light looked up right away at the sound of his Yami's voice in his mind. His eyes found Yami's and they opened fully, and he tried to sit up straight.

__

"Yami!" he cheered in his mind, but winced and held his head, closing his eyes shut. The spirit was much relieved to see his hikari using the mind link again that he didn't hesitate into running to help the boy. Carefully, he pushed Yuugi to lay on the bed, still in spirit form.

__

"Are you ok... aibou?" he inquired, still careful with his words. Yuugi looked up at him, but there was no trace of anger or annoyance in the amethyst depths of his eyes.

__

"I... feel weak. I can't even talk... Yami..." he said, and Yami silently sighed in relief, then smiled.

__

"Close your eyes, aibou. I'll talk to you in your soul room." He said and placed a hand over Yuugi's eyes as the light closed them as he was told. Once he was sure Yuugi had drifted away from consciousness, he closed his own eyes and parted to his soul room.

~

He opened the door to Yuugi's soul room and peeked inside, looking for his light. He found Yuugi there, sitting on a white bed, wearing his light blue pajamas, playing with his fingers with his eyes closed. When he heard the noise of the door he looked up quickly and smiled at Yami. Yami smiled back.

"You don't seem okay either, Yami..." he said, tilting his head to the side as Yami sat at his feet on the bed and leaned against the white wall and sighed. The spirit grabbed a teddy bear and brought it to his lap.

"I'm confused Yuugi... I... I don't understand what's going... Why we're both weak... and..." he fell silent, and Yuugi crawled closer to him. He sat down just beside the spirit.

"And what, Yami?" Yuugi asked, touching the spirit's hand. Yami looked up at him and, in a quick movement, brought Yuugi to his lap and against his chest, one arm around his waist and the other around his shoulders, his chin against Yuugi's head.

Yuugi was surprised, but didn't complain. He was too weak, and by the way Yami held on to him loosely, he figured he was too.

"I feel... like I just woke up from a nightmare. A nightmare in which you, Yuugi... You... hated me..." Yami spoke in a whisper, and Yuugi's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Yami continued. "You didn't talk to me through the mind link, you didn't like to talk to me at all or to be in my presence... You just hung around with your friends... And didn't even wear the Puzzle..." he said, and started to run his fingers through Yuugi's hair.

The boy's eyes widened. Both from the words Yami was speaking and at the way he was holding him. His little hands than began to play with the buttons of the shirt Yami was using.

"I had a dream like that too..." he spoke as low, and Yami brought his chin off Yuugi's head to look at his face. He was looking down. "You... called me things..." his eyes closed shut, and Yami's eyebrows rose. "You hated me... And you dated Anzu... And she too hated me... And..." Yuugi bit his lip to suppress a sob, but still tears fell down his cheeks. Yami's eyes widened and he quickly reached out to brush them away.

"Shh... It's okay, Yuugi... I'm here, and I don't hate you... It was not real..." he said and held the boy closer, as he hid his face on Yami's neck, his hands still laying on his chest. He cried a little, just at the memory of all those events...

"I don't understand, Yami... It... all seemed... so... so..." he tried to say, but Yami finished for him.

"Real." He closed his own eyes, remembering about his own nightmare. No.... it wasn't a normal nightmare. One was that he, Yami, couldn't have nightmares. And not at the same time his hikari did. And also... It _did_ seem too real. _Too_ real...

With his eyes closed and with Yuugi's sobs faded away, only silence filled the room... Until Yami began murmurs. His head shot up and he looked around, but did not find anything. Yuugi looked up at him with confused eyes.

"Yami..." Yuugi began, but was silenced as the spirit placed a finger over his lips. Yuugi blinked.

"Listen." He mouthed, and Yuugi did so. They both turned their heads towards the entrance to the innocent's soul room, which was opened. They looked over to the door across from the white one, and their eyes widened. Shadows peeked from through the gaps under and below the door.

Yami reached out one of his arms and with an opened palm, called out his weak powers to close the door to Yuugi's soul room. When the white door was closed shut, he hugged Yuugi tighter against him.

"I... think I know what happened..." he said, and Yuugi blinked.

"You do?" he asked, and Yami nodded. "What was it, then?"

"The Shadows... They're not supposed to come out of my soul room..." he said, and Yuugi's eyes widened. They were almost coming out a second ago. "They're not strong enough to come out of it, less from the Puzzle... And also, with our bound, they aren't strong enough to do anything but stay trapped in my soul room..." he continued, and Yuugi's eyes softened. He suddenly felt sorry for Yami to have to endure those things every day.

"But...?" Yuugi began, and Yami looked down at him.

"They looked more powerful now, Yuugi. The only way they got like that is if they stole _our_ forces. Aren't we both weak?" he asked, and Yuugi nodded. "They stole our forces, but to do that without us noticing... They probably placed a spell on us."

"A spell?" Yuugi asked, raising an eyebrow. Yami nodded.

"They also had to weaken our bound... So they placed a spell on us, sending us to a sleep in which we would not awake from. We started to live a dream, an illusion, and in those, they put us against each other. As our bound grew weaker, they grew stronger. And neither of us noticed because we were under that spell." Yami explained.

"But... we awoke." Yuugi pointed, and then Yami smiled.

"Because our bound did not brake at all. And, somehow, we didn't manage to hate each other as they had planned." He reached out and touched Yuugi's cheek. "And that still remaining bound brought us back together, breaking the spell."

"But... just that weak bound of us brought us back together...? I mean... the moment I found you at the other side of that invisible wall... I had just seen you and Anzu... kissing..." Yuugi practically breathed the last word out, and if Yami wasn't holding him close, he wouldn't have been able to hear it. "I was... heartbroken, I... I felt betrayed..." Yuugi tried to continue, but didn't succeed. Yami smiled. He brought Yuugi's head up to look at him, holding his chin.

"The moment I found you there, I felt the same way, Yuugi. You had just gone out with the others, leaving the Puzzle behind. Leaving me alone." He said, and Yuugi's eyes were sad.

"I'm sorry..." he said, looking away. Yami's smile only grew.

"It wasn't you." He said simply, and Yuugi looked back at him. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Yuugi looked down, a blush beginning to show on his white skin.

"Do you remember... what happened... before we woke up...?" Yuugi asked, and for a moment Yami's heart stopped. He remembered clearly.

He had kissed Yuugi...

But wait...

He held back a grin. Yuugi did kiss him _back_ too...

"Yes." He said simply, and Yuugi looked up, still blushing. "What about it?" he asked innocently. Yuugi hesitated.

"Don't you think it...I mean... maybe... It had to do... with us breaking the spell?" Yuugi asked, hoping it made sense. Yami chuckled.

"Most likely." He said, and before Yuugi could even think of saying anything else, he leaned over and brushed their lips together. Like before, Yuugi was, at first, surprised but then gave in, placing his hands at the back of Yami's neck and pulling him closer. With both his arms around Yuugi's waist now, Yami first traced the light's lips with his tongue before going further and exploring the inside of his mouth. The taste was sweet, and intoxicating and a lot more than Yami couldn't describe... And just the fact that Yuugi was actually letting him kiss him and was even responding accordingly let him thrilled.

Because they were in the soul room made the passionate act seem even more right than if they were in the real world. It seemed as if their souls were slowly melting into one and each other's scent, taste; the feeling of being in each other's arms, and the emotions running through them was a lot stronger. They didn't want to part, and when they needed to breathe they didn't part their lips.

They probably did this circle, first kissing deeply and enjoying each other's addicting taste then brushing their lips together softly a couple of times before really breaking apart. When they did so, they opened their eyes and gazed into the whirlwind of emotion going through crimson and lavender jewels, not changing their position because they liked it, and also because they were still weak.

"Because I loved you too much and couldn't bring myself to hate you, I refused to leave you. Because I loved you too much, I endured all you did to me quiet. Because I loved you too much... I followed where my soul yelled at me to go and found the real you. It was because I love you that our bound didn't break, and it was because I love you... That I broke the spell." Yami spoke in a deep voice full of emotion, and Yuugi felt like crying.

He believed in every single word he said and actually felt the same.

"I too loved you too much and when I saw you kissing Anzu I... I felt like dying. Because I loved you so much... I couldn't believe you loved someone else. But most of all, I wanted to die... Because even though you insulted me and loved someone else, I couldn't bring myself to hate you... And I couldn't stop loving you." He said, and tears of joy fell from his eyes. Yami smiled lovingly to him and started to kiss them away, before bringing his lips to Yuugi's again.

And, after giving each other a true proof of what they just declared, they fell asleep in each other's arms, too weak to part.

(A/N: I can't believe I wrote this piece of way too fluffy stuff _ Lily: *snickers* better than killing both... Iris: You're not forgetting that, are you?)

~~

Yuugi awoke at what seemed hours later, and he blinked a little before his vision became normal. He felt lazy and didn't really want to leave his warm bed, but he felt as if he had slept enough. But... his bed was so comfy...

He heard a chuckle.

"My, my... Yuugi Mutou didn't use to be so lazy..." a voice said, and Yuugi smiled, and without turning around or opening his eyes, he replied.

"Well, Yuugi Mutou wasn't drained off his energy, then ignored, hated and insulted in an illusion spell before." He said, and the voice laughed. Smiling wider, he turned and faced Yami, leaning over on the bed and with his head tilted to the side. Yuugi was so half-sleeping still that it took him a while to notice that... "Wait... You're solid?!" he sat up quickly, and Yami sat in front of him on the bed. He chuckled and nodded, and was completely caught off of guard when Yuugi threw himself on him. He laughed.

"I see you liked the news?" he asked, and Yuugi backed away enough to look at his eyes. The amethyst gems were shining.

"Liked? I loved it! How did you do it?" he asked excited, and Yami laughed again.

"I use some of the Puzzle's energy and some of my powers to do it. But it just lasts for a few hours, and then I have to rest a couple of days." He said, but Yuugi frowned.

"Can't you do it _without_ resting the couple of days?" he asked.

"Well yes. But I'd have to use some of _your_ energy-"

"Do it!" Yuugi said cheerfully and Yami chuckled.

"If you say so." He said, and the Puzzle, lying beside Yuugi's bed, shone a little. When he opened his eyes, he smiled. "Done." He concluded, and Yuugi hugged him again before kissing him. He responded quickly and the kiss lasted a few minutes before they broke apart and Yuugi seemed fully awake.

"What time is it?" he asked, and Yami looked at his clock.

"It's 1:00 PM." He claimed, and Yuugi blinked, a thought suddenly hitting him.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asked, and Yami shrugged. Yuugi sighed. "Well, I probably have to ask grandpa then... I'm sure he's worried sick as to why I haven't awaked these... uhh.. past times." He said, and Yami nodded, but he was grinning.

"Can't it wait though?" he asked, eyes glowing. Yuugi grinned along.

"Sure it can." He said and kissed Yami again, only this time the taller one pushed him back on the bed, lying on top of him. They kissed for _several_ minutes and weren't willing in stopping soon when the telephone rang. Yuugi had one in his room and was going to answer wasn't him busy with something else...

Yami groaned when the stupid piece of plastic didn't stop ringing and Yuugi giggled in his mouth, and the two were forced to part. He was going to pick the telephone up, but Yami did before.

"What?!" he asked angrily and breathlessly, but soon took it away from his ear as someone screamed on the other side. Yuugi sweatdropped, recognizing Anzu's scream. "Yes, it's me, Yami.... Yes, Yuugi awoke.... No, you can't talk to him... Because you see, we're actually _busy_... No... No! Come in 4 hours or something! Bye!" he hung up and Yuugi was almost sure Anzu wasn't done speaking yet. He sweatdropped when he saw Yami place the telephone _beside_ the receiver.

"Yami, that's not nice... what if the others are worried about me?" Yuugi asked, but Yami was already over him, and the way he kissed his neck completely drifted his attention from the others.

"They'll come here in 4 hours, aibou... That's enough time for me..." he said, and was about to kiss his aibou's lips when Yuugi pushed him away a little. "What is, aibou?" he asked, blinking.

"Grandpa... he can come... any moment..." Yuugi said, finding difficult form any coherent phrases with such hot yami on top of him. Yami smirked.

"Not if I use my powers to make this room soundproof and lock the door... Don't wanna catch his attention with your screams, now do you?" he asked, and Yuugi blushed deeply.

"Yami!" he said, and Yami put on an innocent mask.

"What?" he asked, and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "He can talk to you in 3 hours... Just give us a little time now won't you?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer as he kissed Yuugi deeply.

~***o.w.a.r.i.***~

Lily: _ Couldn't leave just fluff, now could you, yami? You HAD to insert some hentainess in the fic, now hadn't you?

Iris: *grins* Of course. I AM a yami, now aren't I?

Lily: -.-UU

Iris: ^^ Please don't forget to **review**, and tell me if you liked it! ^_^

Lily: Why do I feel like you made a blend of two of my ideas and made your story?

Iris: Because it was pretty much it...

Lily: ¬¬U

Iris: Oh! And if nobody understood why the shadows did what they did... It was because they wanted to get out of the Puzzle, and kill Yami and Yuugi through draining their energies, got it?


End file.
